Abstract

The aborigines of northern Chile and southern Perú developed the Chinchorro culture. They were sedentary fishing communities who practiced complex treatments of artificial mummification using wood to replace or reinforce the squeleton. By comparing wood anatomous characters we identified species used by the Chinchorro people in their practices. Anatomical structure of archaeological plant material and actual species from coastal valleys from northern Chile, close to the archaeological sites were compared for identification purposes. No cortex was find in the wood used for reinforcing the squeleton, indicating an antropic treatment of the plant before mummification. The wooden handle of a fishing bag, chinguillo (Morro-1 site), was identified as Schinus molle, Anacardiaceae. The same wood was find to be used for manufacturing an "arpón" (PLM-3 site) and probably aswell to reinforce the squeleton (Maestranza Chinchorro site). © 2007 Universidad de Tarapacá.